George Weah backs Roberto Mancini for AS Monaco job

Former AS Monaco striker George Weah has backed Roberto Mancini to become the next manager of the French club.

The Ligue 2 side, who are bankrolled by billionaire owner Dmitry Rybolovlev, were reportedly preparing a deal to bring the Manchester City boss to Stade Louis II.

Speculation has been mounting over Mancini's future and Weah has tipped the Italian to succeed Claudio Ranieri as Monaco coach.

"Mancini would be a good appointment for Monaco, they have an interesting history, and of course, Arsene Wenger was one of their former coaches - and probably their most important - but since he left they have struggled," he told talkSPORT.

"I hope the new owners can bring them back to their former glories. They want the team to grow and my heart goes out to them because Monaco were my first club.

"We all want to see them back amongst the best teams in Ligue 1."

Mancini's City currently trail local rivals Manchester United by 15 points at the top of the Premier League table.